The Silent Ballroom

[Acteur de la Noir]

And so Acteur was left alone in the ballroom. Alone to ponder the latest turn of events, absently stroking the folds of his cape as he recalled the set of glowing fingers that had latched into the tattered black garment prior--and the unusual level of care their owner had shown afterwards. To say nothing of that soft, heartfelt gratitude she had offered him before departing.

Sure, the villainess had made it clear that the next time Acteur tried to play puppet with her would also be the last. But beneath that, the Heartless puppetmaster sensed something else--genuine gratitude and trust, though Shego had done a masterful job of disguising it. She trusted him...which meant that her heart had been opened a little further to the darkness. As she was now, Shego was a talented beauty, one whose heart carried a delightful level of complexity despite the paths she had chosen. Were she to surrender that heart of her own free will, there was little doubt in Acteur's mind that she would be able to retain her original form and identity...something only the most strong-willed of individuals could accomplish. And then the Heartless would have a new member of the fold...one like him and Atticus; not just a feral beast, but a master of the darkness.

Abruptly, a soft groan from nearby reminded Acteur of recent events. Walking over to Beatrix, Acteur tipped his hat and considered the prone Heartless General with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. "I gather the stray wolf is much more formidable than I gave him credit for?" he ventured, cocking his head to one side as though arching a brow.

[General Beatrix]

"I gather the stray wolf is much more formidable than I gave him credit for?"

[glow=Red,2,300]As Beatrix came to, so too did her vision. She gazed around the room, her head pulsing. Everything, once a blur, soon came to perfect eyesight once more. She attempted to lift herself, but then decided the pain would only subside provided she no longer moved. So she dropped again with a grunt.

When Acteur happened upon her near-broken body, she simply turned her head, facing the opposite direction, a scowl burned into her face. "Simply a forced, reckless attack I had not planned on facing," she said, rather annoyed at herself. "Credit is due, though, as he did manage to send me running. That is a...rare occurrence."

She pressed her hands to the floor, palms open, and reveled in the coolness of the white marble. It felt so wonderful on her aching body, and she thought she could spend all day there. But no, that wouldn't do...

"Cura," she said in a whisper, and in a second a white--albeit black-striping, tainted--light overtook her entire body, and green energy, visible from her insides, swam throughout the canals of her bloodstream, healing her of her injuries, both internal and external.

Though the general was now nearly at maximum health, she stayed on the floor for a little while longer.

"Excuse me," she said aloud, her voice echoing throughout the chamber. "But what can you tell me of the goings-on within this castle, of late?"

Finally, she slowly-but-surely rose, and made it to a standing postion. She threw her clenched fist to her heart and bowed just her head, a salute to whomever's allegience she swore to at the time. "Oh? It appears we have not met, though I might have seen you back in the dungeons." She removed her fist from her chest and began brushing herself off. A moment later, and her hand extended forward, reaching out towards Acteur.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am General Beatrix Lilian Flint, General of the Heartless. And you are?"[/glow]

[Shego]

[glow=green,2,800]Shego appeared through the great opening of the Ballroom, resting a hand on her hip, while the other dangled freely against her leg, tapping at her thigh in intervals of two seconds. Her raven hair would be covering one of her eyes, and the visible one glowed a taunting green within the darkness. The transparent-green fabric of her outfit would flow lightly, even when no wind was present. She watched the General growing comfortable with the poet, and she sighed, rolling her emerald eyes.

She walked momentarily to the wall nearest her, and leaned against it, waiting until introductions were done. Who knows, if she was 'nice' to this woman... there could be some benefit of this in the long run... [/glow].

[Acteur de la Noir]

Seeing Beatrix heal herself, Acteur determined that there was little need for the Green Requiems to remain--with a dismissive gesture and an intense glittering of his keen yellow eyes, the Heartless Puppeteer spoke to them in the language of the darkness--a silent message that could be roughly translated into: "You've done well, my brethern. Return now to the blackness between the planes, from whence we all sprang." Quivering once and dipping their wizard-esque hats in perfect unison--the Requiems' way of taking a bow for a job well-done--the musical-themed Heartless vanished, a burst of ghostly purple magic marking their departure.

With the servants sent away, the elegantly-dressed Acteur turned to address the Heartless General, taking off his hat and sweeping into an elegant bow--a gesture that framed the theatrical smile of his mask in the tangled mop of his long, silvery-gray hair. "Acteur de la Noir at your service, milady Beatrix!" he declared with a note of pride in his ghostly-yet-melodramatic voice. "Mine are the skills of a court magician and a master of theater--magic, manipulation, and entertainment are all at my command! I am bard, poet, magician, spy, and saboteur all in one! And though I lack the formidable weaponry of an esteemed warrior such as yourself, I will put myself on the line to ensure victory for the Heartless cause..." A pause, in which those eerie yellow eyes sought out the lovely visage that was framed by that cascading waterfall of hair. "...And it is thus, with knowledge of your previous service to our Lady Maleficent, that I bid you the warmest and darkest of welcomes back!

Then Acteur rose from his bow, deftly returning his mask to the shadow of his hat as he put it back on. "Right, then...you wanted to know what has happened in your absence, yes? Well, as you can see, our Lady has strived to re-build her ranks after what some might call the Second Heartless War--through her own efforts, and those of her faithful servant Pete, she has made contact with a number of individuals who share her devotion to the Dark. Aside from myself, there is the Heartless magus known to most as Atticus the Fallen--a sorcerer whose connections to the Heartless and mastery of magic have proven invaluable to our Lady." A pause. "There is Jafar, an Arabian schemer and student of the arcane who has returned to us from beyond the grave. There is the Dancing Madman, Kefka--though dressed in the gaudy apparel of a clown, rest assured that the mind beneath the makeup is one of a twisted genius--he is one of the few I acknowledge as an equal in the art of manipulation and theatrical!"

Acteur paused, a mischievous chuckle escaping his mask as he turned to sweep an arm in the direction of the black-and-green-checkered beauty who had slipped back into the ballroom. "And, of course, you've met your peer, milady Shego. Ah-ah-ah! I see that glare in your eyes, but rest assured that her actions were merely intended for the best! To remind you of where your true allies reside, and awaken the real you...that was her sole purpose." A pause, in which he took a few steps to stand between Beatrix and Shego, dipping forth in a noble bow. "And you are both equally important to Maleficent, in your own ways...with that in mind, it is my fondest hope that we might set forth together, united in our desire to bring darkness to all the worlds."

[General Beatrix]

"Mine are the skills of a court magician and a master of theater--magic, manipulation, and entertainment are all at my command! I am bard, poet, magician, spy, and saboteur all in one! And though I lack the formidable weaponry of an esteemed warrior such as yourself, I will put myself on the line to ensure victory for the Heartless cause..." A pause, in which those eerie yellow eyes sought out the lovely visage that was framed by that cascading waterfall of hair. "...And it is thus, with knowledge of your previous service to our Lady Maleficent, that I bid you the warmest and darkest of welcomes back!

[glow=red,2,300]Beatrix nodded at the man as he spoke, revealing his odd range of skills and duties within the ranks of this villainous crew. All of his grandiose bows and noble gestures made her feel slightly uncomfortable, having done similarly for the royals of her homeworld. She felt somewhat like she was trying to take that position herself, and she frowned.

"So there is Atticus the Fallen, Jafar, Miss--" she tilted her head, listened to Acteur and shook her head, unsure. "Anyway. Shego, and Kefka. Then there is you. My, my. Please do not take this wrong, but has Her Majesty become a sloth, by chance? What happened to the others? Where is everyone? Judge Frollo? Queen Grimhilde?

"What ever happened to the vast armies?"

She moved around the room slowly, for the first time in a while formulating hundreds of situations and new ideas all at once, and it was aggravating. She couldn't remember exactly why she had left the side of the Heartless, but she was definitely positive that Maleficent knew not where to go from where Beatrix had started her off.

"Can she not handle large operations without me?" she wondered aloud. "It is almost as if she's been giving the enemy everything. In time I might have to call a meeting with her.

"Now, Acteur, if you would be so kind, do tell me: what can you tell me of my comrades?" She turned to Shego. "Or you? Have you any clue as to their whereabouts? Working with those two--one longer than the other--I noticed that they would make excellent thralls under me within my ranks, and be of much better use serving in the next war."

She stopped in place, standing before the huge windows and large double doors leading out onto the moonlit balcony, and she tilted back her head.

"Queen Maleficent does have her sights set on stirring up a new conflict, yes?"[/glow]

[Shego]

[glow=green,2,800]This is when the thief walked closer to the General, having said question in mind, "Just what I wanted to talk to you about: The goodies." with a light step, she passed Acteur, poking his shoulder lightly before giving him a concealed smile.

The emerald-eyed woman stepped behind the General with her arms crossed, a fiendish smile upon her expression, "Look, I don't know who you are talking about, this Judge Trollo, and Second Queeny, all I know is that something fun is happening, and I wanna be a part of it. I'm sure YOU do to-- We have to do with what we have for now, right?" the woman had a smug look about her, " Anyways... I heard you are interested in your friends, and I have JUST done what you need to play with them, Chuckles. To be honest, I want nothing to do with them since they are your toys. Think of it as my gift to you."

She moved a bit closer, until she rested her weight on her left hand, while she leaned on it on at the edge of the balcony, resting the other on her hip, " You can watch their doings from here and can even BE with them if you want, and you will be unnoticed by that girl that can sense darkness. How about, with my gift, you build that army you want and I'll deal with the sneaky business? Just relax, have fun, and MESS with some heads."

Shego glanced back to the stage's first male, giving him a smirk, "Acteur and I can handle the rest, right Poe?"[/glow]

[General Beatrix]

To be honest, I want nothing to do with them since they are your toys. Think of it as my gift to you."

[glow=red,2,300]Beatrix payed perfect attention as Shego spoke, taking in each word as if it were some large puzzle piece, and she wondered about her true motives. But this was very good, she thought.

"Very interesting, Shego. Yes, that would give me just the opportunity I need to work on the army. Just outright attacking them and attempting to draw them over usually doesn't work, anyway. I must work them over through manipulation."

She stared up at the False Kingdom Hearts and then back to the green woman, a look of somewhat respect. "And what is this glorious item you speak of, which will allow me to be in two worlds at once? Surely you have not acquired an artifact through dirty means from Her Majesty?" She stared back at Shego for an answer, and even looked to Acteur for some light to be shed.[/glow]

[Shego]

[glow=green,2,800]"Hm hm hm" the green woman would chuckle, raising a dark eyebrow more than the other, " Why, same tech Queeny uses to look at stuff from the staff. If ya ever need to brown nose, Chuckles, look in the mirror." she clued. Turning to make her way next to Acteur once more.

"Oh, but before I make you your own little magic mirror... You have to do something for me." The thief grinned, and turned to look at the woman, winking. Honestly, would it be Shego if she made things easy? So far, she knew a weakness of Beatrix, and that was to make her say things that were FORCED.

"Say these simple words: Shego, you are my BEST friend." - she reached down into a pocket, and a soft click was heard...[/glow]

[General Beatrix]

[glow=red,2,300]When the general heard the demands of the green-clad woman, she bit her lip to keep from striking her. She simply turned away, and then looked on to Acteur for guidance. Then she shrugged, and turned back.

"Absolutely not," she said matter-of-factly. "There is no way I, the Great General Beatrix, am going to surrender to the most outlandish of requests. If you're looking for any other reaction, you are going to have to seek it elsewhere; I will not demean myself for your sake."

She folded her arms and tilted her head, and smirked. "You are not even worth wasting my breath on at this time. I have not seen any efforts to impress or assuage my utter disdain for you as of yet, so there is no benefit for you."[/glow]

[Shego]

[glow=green,2,800]"Oh~ But you are wrong, my pirate friend." She noted the eye patch, stretching a little before resting her hands behind her head, "It'll make me feel a LOT better knowing we are on the same side... and besides, if you really want that magic mirror, you gotta say it for me to set you up. It puts us on good terms."

She winked again, grinning widely, "So come on~ say it: Shego, you are my BEST friend." she glanced a little to Acteur, chuckling softly before turning her attention to the General once more.[/glow]

[General Beatrix]

[glow=red,2,300]"Either hand it over, or do not, Miss Shego. I have more pressing matters, and if I must I will simply seek out Maleficent and ask for a mirror."

Beatrix glided past Shego, hrer arms now sat her sides and her face bearing a terrifying scowl. She glanced Acteur's way and then stopped. "Must you deal with the Queen's fools, as well? Honestly, I have to admit Zorn and Thorn were much more useful than her. I wonder what Maleficent sees in her."[/glow]

[Shego]

[glow=green,2,800]Shego rolled her eyes, "Wow, stubborn aren't you...?" the thief sighed, reaching into her pocket to reveal a shard or some sort, "A baby that always must have her way... you won't get far. I can't wait to see M.O.A.E.'s (Mistress of all evil) face when you go and BUG her of something so small."

Her emerald eyes rested upon the odd moon, never noticing how weird it looked before looking to Acteur, " Let's watch her get burned by Queeny. I say, she'll smell like a roast for a week." she taunted, though still certain that the black witch was one to lose temper quickly.[/glow]

[Acteur de la Noir]

Acteur played the observing audience once again, stepping back to give Shego room to work--while he wasn't usually one to relinquish the spotlight, a confrontation between successor and predecessor promised to be both poetic and quite entertaining. And so, the normally-talkative Heartless kept his poetic mannerisms to himself, the only hint of his opinion on the matter being the wide smile that presently adorned his mask and the way his spooky yellow eyes glittered with mischievous amusement...particularly when Shego began trying to push Beatrix's buttons. Given the circumstances of their previous encounter, some tension was to be expected, what?

When Shego addressed him directly by bringing up the prospect of Maleficent's fiery temper (What was that term she'd come up with? M.O.A.E.? How utterly witty!), the Heartless Puppetmaster brought a hand up to his chin, stroking it with long, gloved fingers as he let out a hum of theatrical musing. "Hmm...roast, you say? The assumption there being, of course, that there's anything left--were our Lady's ire to be truly provoked, there'd be naught but ash!"

Chuckling to himself, Acteur turned to Beatrix with a whirl of his cape, his keen and ghostly eyes locking with the general's one un-shielded pool. "But I doubt it'll need to come to that--I'm sure our Lady wouldn't be quite that angry with our dear general. But why interrupt her needlessly, especially when she's so busy planning the next great war?" Pausing, he slipped alongside Beatrix and leaned forward, dropping his voice to a dramatic whisper as he spoke into her ear. "I would encourage you to bury the axe, General. A few words of friendship, in exchange for an artifact of scrying...is that not a fine offer?"

[General Beatrix]

[glow=red,2,300]Beatrix pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration, and with Acteur more or less taking the side of a conniving little guttersnipe caused her utter grief. She stood back and looked Acteur straight in the eyes and nodded her head, giving him the same polite bow she used to give all nobles who sought out settling matters politely.

"Very well," she said and turned on the ball of her heel, her back straight, and proceeded back to Shego. "Miss Shego, I ask you here and now, as an ally; if you're willing to part with whatever it is you offered, then please do. I really have no time or desire to lie to you presently. There is truly no need for it. I can not call you my friend until you have proven it."

Then she scratched her chin thoughtfully. "Though I suppose that you did release me from my prison." Shego wouldn't notice, but Beatrix wasn't talking about the dungeons.

"I concede. You are more of a friend than I previously believed. Now may I go? There are preparations to be made, and I can not keep it waiting. If the Heartless Army has any hopes of gaining even a foothold in some of the more powerful worlds, I must set to work. You may assist me, if you'd like. Both of you."[/glow]

***Off to The Towers of Destruction, in The World that Never Was***

[Shego]

[glow=green,2,800]The thief seemed happy with the answer, shrugging, "Ah~ Close enough, Bea Bea." she chuckled, taking out some items from a small pocket pouch she carried: An Ipod, the small mirror shards, and tape along with other small screws and screens. She sat down in place, and began to tinker with the small shard she carried. She would take apart the Ipod and cut some wires to twist with others, and would connect the separate screens and use screws to hold them in place. If she lacked screws she would use tape, making a makeshift hologram communicator.

"Green to blue.." she mumbled, trying to remember what Drakken had done to create one of these, "...make an adjustment here..." she would use her fingertips as the screw drivers and scissors, " ...these aren't needed," she continued to talk to herself, "And we are... done." she nodded, pressing down the center button control of the ex-music player.

At first, the small device would flicker a light green and blue color-- then white and blue... then green again. Shego tapped it a bit, and the screen and the area above it came into life, portraying a 3D image of the Knight's back. "There we go!" she grinned, blinking a little at this. She would rotate the circle button to display the knight from the side, then the front, "Yup, that's the goodie, I wonder what she's up to."

The thief held out the holographic imager to the General, showing that the knight was in the mists of using a chilly attack.
"Am I good, or am I good?"[/glow]

"Life -zrchhh-rt…Bury!" the small form of Agrias would stance, "Can anyo-zrchhhhh-ar me?? "Abigail! Go -zrchhhh-e the wreckage to me, inspect civilian and passenger health!"

[glow=green,2,800]Shego grinned, "Seems we caught her in the middle of an action flick! Oh!-- there went the White Mage... ohh... is that a ship? SWEET! It's a Scifi movie." She also held it up for the noble heartless to see, thinking he would be curious as well to the electric-handled technology.[/glow]